Embedding Gender Equality Across Victoria

To support the rollout of Victoria’s landmark Gender Equality Act 2020, we partnered with the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector (CGEPS) to design and deliver best-practice tools, training, and resources that enable public entities to meet their gender equality obligations. From developing the state’s official Gender Impact Assessment (GIA) Toolkit to facilitating workshops and creating sector-specific case studies, our work has helped embed gender equality into policies, programs, and services across Victoria. 

The Challenge

Policies, programs and services often fail to reflect the diverse experiences, needs, and realities of women and gender-diverse people, leading to unintended harm or reinforcing inequality. The Gender Equality Act 2020 requires Victorian public entities—including government departments, councils, education and health services—to actively assess and address gendered impacts in their work. This was a pioneering piece of legislation, but it also presented a significant challenge: hundreds of organisations needed clear, practical tools and training to understand their obligations and implement gender impact assessments effectively. 

The Solution

EQI partnered with CGEPS to develop and deliver a comprehensive package of support: 

• The GIA Toolkit — a step-by-step guide with templates, examples, and sector-specific case studies to help entities apply gender analysis in real-world settings. 

• Training & Capacity Building — delivery of 25 tailored GIA workshops in 2021, reaching 474 participants from 243 entities, covering the ‘why’ of GIAs, obligations under the Act, and practical application using case studies. 

• Ongoing Support — development of expanded case studies (procurement and health facility design), analysis of Gender Equality Action Plans to inform CGEPS’s 2026 guidance, and the creation of accessible infographics to communicate research findings on intersectionality. 

• Advisory Role — as a Panel Provider, we offered specialist advice on strategies to improve gender equality, evaluation approaches, and communications strategies to strengthen organisational capability. 

The Impact

Our work with CGEPS has built a foundation for meaningful gender equality across Victoria: 

• Increased Capability — entities reported a substantial boost in confidence: before training, 27% of participants felt not confident or only a little confident in their GIA knowledge; after training, this dropped to just 1%. 

• Wide Reach — more than 470 participants across 300+ entities trained, with the toolkit and training materials now available online to all public entities. 

• Practical Change — entities gained space to discuss obligations, share approaches, and network; tailored case studies demonstrated real-world application. 

• Sustained Influence — EQI’s analysis of gender equality action plans and development of assessment rubrics are informing CGEPS’s next wave of guidance. 

• Global Impact — our experience in Victoria has informed approaches in other jurisdictions, including supporting the NSW government to roll out gender impact assessments. 

Together, this work has embedded gender equality into the everyday decision-making of public entities, ensuring that policies and services better reflect and respond to the needs of all Victorians. 

Explore the resources:

• GIA Toolkit and Templates
• Training Videos
• Gender Impact Assessment Case Studies
• Gender Equality Action Plan (GEAP) Guidance
• Intersectionality At Work Report